Dead-face switchboard.



A. N. ROGER-S61, w. F. O'NEILL. DEAD FACE s-wncusomw.

APPLICATION FILED APR- ll. 19M.

1,297,912. Patented Mar. 18,1919.

WITNESSES k INVENTORS um TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT N. ROGERS, OF IRWIN, AND WILLIAM F. ON'EILL, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYL- IA, ASSIGNORS T0 PENN ELECTRICAL & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DEAD-FACE SWITGHIBOABD.

Specification of Letters Patent. t t Man 1 91 Application filed April 17, 1914. Serial no, 832,485.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT N. Rooms and WILLIAM F. ONEILL, citizens of the United States, respectivel residing at Ir win, in the county of Vl estmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, and \Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements in Dead-Face Switchboards, of which the following is a specification. 7 I

A dead-face switch board is characterized by the arrangement of the several switch operating devices'at thefront of the board and with all of the switches, conductors and other electrical connections at the rear thereof so that no charged or current-'carryin parts are exposed. These boards are large y use d in theaters and other places where a multiplicity of light circuits .are controlled from a single station, in many munici alities the use of such boards in theaters ing comp o yr I As heretofore constructed, the switches, conductors and other electrical connections and devices are su ported at a distance rearwardly from the d ead-face, there being usually suificient space between such support and the dead-face board for workmen to enter for making necessary adjustments-re pairs, etc. This intervening space is traversed by the operating' connections extending to the switch-throwing devices at the front of the board, and their presence renders work within such space difficult and I hazardous. Furthermore, the switch board of such prior construction takes u considerable. room Where space is valua le, as in case of'a theater it must be conveniently located on the stage. I I

The switch board of the present invention is designed to obviate these. difficulties by utilizing the rear surface of the dead-face board for supporting all, of the switches and their associated electrical connections, with the switch-throwing device's mounted on the front of the board and 0 eratively connected to the switches, preferab y by means of connecting devices whichare movable through openin s,formed in the board for that purpose. he live parts are thereby as efiectually guarded and are as thoroughly isolated from the front of the boar as though spaced backwardly therefrom in the manner I 'one to the other.

the other for alternatin eona ' design.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s afront elevation of a portion of a deadface switch board embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Flg. 3 is an end or'edge view shown partly in section. Fig 4-is adetail of a portion of the switch-throwing mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the upright switch board 2 is commonly formed of slate, marble, or an equlvalent insulating sub-- stance, and the front surface thereof is or-' dinarily provided with a facing 3 of asbestos fiber or other suitable insulating surfacefinishing material. V

It is characteristic of theinvention that the switches and other current carrying parts are supported by board 2- at its rear face, while the switch-throwin' devices are mounted n the front or dead= ace, suitable operating connections being interposed from No novelty, is claimed herein for the switches, nor for the throwing devices, excepting as they are mounted in operative relation on the single board;

In the illustrated embodiment three tiers of switches are shown arranged one above the other, although it will beunderstood.

that such grouping is merelyillustrative of 'one of many possible arrangements, de-

termined by the number and location of cir cuits to be controlled. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower switch t is in the form of a double-throw double pole switch for supplyin current from either of two circuits 0 or% as may be desired. One of these circuits may be for direct current, and current, or they may be alternative supp ms of like current from difi'erent sources, a compulso requirement not unusual in theater lightmg. The

o eratingbguadrant. 5 for switch 4 is mountaring-forming shaft .6, and this shaft issupported by brackets 7 secured to and projecting backwardly from the rear face of board 2. A link 8 connects the quadrant with the switch, and another link 9 extends from the quadrant through an aperture 10 in the board to the switch-throwing The several operating levers 11 have the usual arrangement whereby they may be thrown individually, or all of the levers of a tier simultaneously by a master lever 13. The mounting for each tier of operating levers 11 consists of a shaft 14 which is supported by bearings or bracket 15, the latter and brackets"? projecting'irom the faces of the board sufiiciently to afiord the necessary clearance or throw for the switches and levers. ()ne of the individual levers 11, for which no novelty is claimed, is illustrated in detail in Fig. Referring thereto, the angular lever it? is loosely mounted on shaft 1dand the handle-carrying stem 17 is movable in l6 is held normally in inwardly projected position by coiled spring 18 with its inner extremity in engagement with a notch 19 of sleeve 20 secured to shait l4, and when in engagement with such notch, the lever and shait'll are rigidly connected adapted to be operated by the master lever 13. For operating any one oi levers ll individually, or for preventing such lever from being operated with the others of the group by the master lever, the handle-carrying stem l? is simply turned and thereby raised against the pressure of spring 18 by pin 21 riding to the upper end of the cam guide'QQ on arm 16, thereby rethestern from the notch of sleeve 20 so that shaft 14: may revolve without turning arm 16, or on the other hand, the released lever 11 may be turned on shaft 14 anditsconnected switch thrown without at footing any other lever and switch of the group.

These several arrangements are shown for the purpose of illustrating the adaptability of the dead-lace single switch board of the present invention to the various uses and requirements necessary in switch hoards oi this general type, the front or exposed face of the boardhaving all of the operating parts as conveniently arranged and as accessible as though the board proper were not utilized as a support for the switches.

Upon referring to Fig".- 2, it will be seen that in addition to supporting the several the face of board 2 also serves leavers to sustain the several bus bars 23 and the connections therefrom to the switches, also the several circuits 0 leading from the switches, all of these parts and connections being readily accessible at the rear of the board, access thereto not being retarded by such operating devices as are necessarily interposed when separate and spaced apart supports are provided forzthe switches and the operating levers.

We claim:

1. In a dead face switch board, a vertical panel of insulating material provided with an aperture extending therethrough, a double throw double pole switch directly mounted on the rear of said panel, a bell crank lever also mounted directly on the rear of said panel and adjacent said aperture, a link connecting one arm of said lever to the swinging portion of said switch, an operating lever mounted on the front of said panel and a link extending through said aperture and connecting said bell crank lever and said operating lever.

2. in a dead face switch-board, a vertical panel having an aperture extending there through from front to rear, a double throw double pole switch having a switching contact located between stationary contacts mounted directly on the rear of said panel and a bell crank lever mounted on the rear of said panel and having one arm thereof opposite said aperture, a link connecting theother arm of said lever to the swinging portion of said switch, an operating lever mounted on the front of said panel and a link extending through said aperture and connecting the arm of said bell crank opposite said aperture with said operating lever,

3. In a dead lace switch board, a vertical switch board panel of insulating material and provided with an aperture extending therethrough from front to rear, a double throw double pole switch secured directly to the rear of said panel, a bell crank lever mounted on the rear of said panel between said switch and said aperture, a link connecting one arm oi said bell crank with said switch, another link connected to the other arm of said bell crank and extending through, said aperture and an operating handle mounted on the front or" said panel and connected to the link extending through said aperture.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence oi? two witnesses.

ALBERT N. ROGERS. WILLIAM F. (lNEllLL.

Witnesses:

W'i LIAM G. Genera, (inc, GRAFTON, 

